Resilient front buffer



June 5, 1923-. v 1,457,534 G. A. LYON VHESILIENT FRONT BUFFER Filed 00f. 25 1921 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 5, 1923.

GEOBGEALIBERT LYON, 01' PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVMHA.

.RESILIENT FRONT BUFFER.

Application filed October 25, 1921. Serial No. 510,293.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, Gnonen ALBERT LYON,

. a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia,

' with the accompanying drawing.

co-pending application Serial No. filed January 16, 1920, that is, it contains subject matter taken therefrom.

-This invention relates especially to resilient hufi'ers or buffer front members for automobiles or other vehicles in which spring steel or other resilient strip is used for the bufi' er front to secure increased resilient yielding action under collision con.- ditions; 'One or more strips offspring steel or other suitablematerial may be used to form the bufier front which may comprise -end loopsformed by bending the strip back upon itself in the same or opposite direction so that such strip ends may be clamped or otherwise connected adjacent the ends of the central impact receiving portion of the buffer front. 'The strips which form the loops may in some cases be bent forward toward the buffer front strip adjacent each end of the central impact receiving portion of the bufier front where all of the spring strips may be clam case additional spring yieldin action is secured when-the attaching members of spring steel strip or other construction are clamps or secured to or formed integral with the end loops. Although the entire butler front may be made of a single piece or strip of such resilient material it may, if desired,- be formed of two strips which may in some cases be of generally similar-shape and have overlapping portions which may be adjust ably or otherwise connected together to form a double thickness re-ent'orced portion-at the central impact receiving part of the buffer front, This uype of construe .tion also has practical advantages, since it makes possible a smaller package when the bufi'er is-shipped in disassembled condition. In many cases it is advantageous to have the end loops formed integral with the attaching members and connected thereto through oneonmore curved resilient po rtions seas to givemcreased resil t ion-mg act on between gygge pgrggs This application is a continuation in part.

ed tor ether and in this I more strips of tempered spring steel or other I suitable resilient material which may, for example, be a quarter to three-eighths of an inch thick and one and a quarter to two and a quarter inches or more wide and the width of the sgrips may advantageously be, arranged vertically when the buffer is secured or applied to an automobile or other vehicle so as to give the greatly increased vertical rigidity of the pgirts which is desirable undcr running conditions. The bufier front strips, such as 4, 9, which. may be arran ed. in reinforcing position, may before her ening and tempering have their ends bent around so as to form end loops 3," 8 which are preferably inclined rearwardly somewhat as indicatedand the rear strips or sides or clamped, if desired. As indicated in Fig.

l,'theseend loop strips may be carried in ward and backward in such curved portions as 2, 7, for instance, to give increased resilience and then carried backward to form the attaching members 1, '6, which may be clamped or secured to the automobile frame in any suitable way. The overlapping reinforcing front stri s 4, 9 may be clampel or secured together by any suitable clamping devices such, for example, as the clamping devices 11, 12 which may have rearwardly extending members fitting closely around-the edges of the buffer strips and clamped thereto by the bolts 13 which may, if desired, also clamp the rcarend loop strips to the other front strips of the butter adjacent the ends 5, 10 of these front strips. In this way ample lateral adjustment is secured so that the bufi'er can fit automobile frames having different widths and a simple and cheap construction is thus produced which has considerable added strength and stifi- I ness because the end loop portions are ini- 'tially substantially or completely closed.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the en. forward 17, to inward at least. m "She bufier r d, as indiiceited,

of these so. ps may overlap ie of the strips being cent e1; siightiy a6; 19 for this this COIiSiIEHCilQEI is dene or moise froni connecting e or in each if less noose the oufier front a u to film other front sgtrips as e ciazping devices 28, which may i cl adjacent the ends 26, of this i inforcing member. These lateral n iiQVlGES may also hold in suhsiam 0 iiLion the rear strip-i or memcl loops which may he continued "rel the curved resilient port-ions l5,

* ted to or integral with the. attachmom-here H, 20. -Willi ilais type of buffer is cl sirehle to have one or more central devices such as 29 clamping toin laterally adjusted position the .efi. The front portions 01 strips end loop members may be carried .1 euiiciently to connect. them to (he #4 strips, preferably in connection s. inf; means or portions hold the r of these strips in vei'iicnl align- 4 others. These inwardly pro-- s 3%, 39 connected with the end Lend inward part "way to the Lil the buffer fr'onb may, if deaV-e ireerwardly extending aligning one 40 extending through a igning slots 4:3, 44 in the connecting reinforcing strip or ncinorder to further strength reinforce the buffer front and nore finished appearance a front connecting strip or member 42 may be avenger? in o erlepping position in front of f strips and have its ends 45, 46 exior through the clamping connecti. vice i9, 50 enclosing these bufier front q I A" .olding them together as well as g or enclosing ehe rear portions of loop members as indicated.

This invent-ion has been described in. conrvith a number of embodiments,

proportions, parts, arrangements, nia- "Q ce 7 methods of connection and use. to- 1 a I b the cleions or which. disclosure the invention is not oi? course to be limited, sincefiqhat is f n end What is (iesn-ei to he seei-ters Potent is set foil; in the mes I ornoinle oufier comprising two pi; adjacent the central portions nee-moi similar spring sieel strip member each lnwing'en end loop, a curved resilient portion throughout the central pare oi the buffer front beizween attaching niernhers and clamping device." to hold together said overlapping impact. receiving poriions and the adjacent rear porizions of said. eni loops.

2. The cuiioinobilc bufier comprising two similar spring steel strip members each hav ing a substantieily closed end loop curved resilient portion and 2. connected reomverdly extending attaching member zinri having a from; impact receiving: portion exteniling iii-- ward from said loop to overlap and rein forcethe correeponding portion of ihe other member and clamping devices to hole together said. overlapping impact receiving portions.

3. The automobile huiler comprising spring steel strip members each having a substantially closed en l loop and. resin Wardly extending attaching member an havin a. front nn 'aci receivm portion eX- tending inward from said. ioop o overlap and i'ein' oice the corresponding po tion of the other member and. clentiping devices to hold to. said i'ei'leppmg mipact receiving. portions.

4. The zn'itonxobile boiler coinnrisin two spring 51 l strip members each. having a sulostanc' V closccl end. loop and rear wardly expending niiisiching member, one of said members having :1 impact receiving portion exteniling inward from. said loop to overlap and einiorce a transversely ex tending spring strip member of the buffer front and clazngiiing devices to holcltogether said overlappi portions andizhe adjacent 37 portions of soul end ioops.

The on eniohile bufi'er comprising a v0 spring steel strip members each having a substantially closed end loop and :1 rear- Wardly extending attaching member, one of said members having a front impact receiving portion extending inward from said loop to overlap a firansversely extending member of the buffer front and clamping .(levices to hold together said overlapping said reinforced lmfier front and having real strips beniforward. int-o cubsi-aniiol contocb' with said buffer "rent portion and-securely connected thereto and attaching members extending end loops having front strips inand intermediate curved resilient portions tegral' with'portions of said reinforced bufintegral with the rear strips of said end loops,

7. The spring strip automobile buffer comprising-a multiple thickness reinforced front portion, clamping members securing together the co-operating strips of said buffer front portion and outwardly extending end loops having mutually overlapping reinforcing front strips integral with portions of said reinforced buffer front and having rear strips bent forward into substantial contact with said buffer front portion and securely connected thereto and attaching members integral with the rear strips of said end loops.

8. The automobile buffer comprising a substantially straight multiple thickness reinforced spring strip buffer front portion, clamping members securing together the co operating buffer front strips adjacent each 'end of said buffer front portion and outwardly extending end loops having front strips integral with portions of said reinforced butfer front and having rear strips bent forward into substantial Contact with said buffer front portion and rearwardly extending attaching members adapted to be connected to the automobile frame and intermediate curved resilient portions integral with the rear strips of said end loops.

9. The automobile buffer comprising a substantially straight multiple thickness reinforced spring strip buffer front portion,

clamping members securing together the cooperating buffer front strips and outwardly fer front and having rear strips bent into substantial contact with said buffer'front portion iind rearwardly, extending attaching members adapted to be connected to the automobile frame and intermediateresilient portions integral with the rear strips of said end loo )5. 1

10. T espring strip automobile buffer comprising a multiple thickness reinforced front portion, clamping members securing together the co-operating strips on each side of the center of said buffer front portion and outwardly extending end loops having front strips integral with portions of said reinforced butter front and having rear 11. The spring strip automobile buffer comprisinga multiple thickness reinforced front portion, clamping members securing together the co-operat-ing strips on each side of the center of said buffer front portion and outwardly extending end loops having front strips integral with portions of said reinforced buffer: front and having rear strips bent forward into substantial contact with said buffer front portion and resilient attaching members integral with the rear strips of said end loops.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON. 

